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Posts categorized under Accessibility Archives - Page 21 of 21 - SDOT Blog

How We’re Improving Access in Downtown Seattle

Seattle is renowned for our arts, outdoors, and well, rain. Less well known is that we have some serious hills, rivaling San Francisco’s steeps, which pose an obstacle to accessibility for wheelchair users. Manual wheelchair users face a steep climb, and power chairs can deplete their battery motoring uphill, so… [ Keep reading ]

SDOT Learns How Deaf-Blind Pedestrians Get Around

We had the chance to learn more about how deaf-blind pedestrians use sidewalks, street crossings, and public transit to get around the city thanks to The Lighthouse for the Blind, Inc. David Miller, an Orientation & Mobility Specialist with The Lighthouse, extended an invitation to observe how deaf-blind pedestrians navigate the public pedestrian… [ Keep reading ]

Considering the Needs of All Pedestrians

Some of us walk quickly, and some of us walk slowly. Others cannot see or hear as well as others. Still others use mobility assistive devices to help them get to where they need to be. SDOT is trying to better understand the abilities and needs of all pedestrians—in particular, those who live… [ Keep reading ]

Access Seattle: Keeping the Right of Way Accessible to All

Seattle continues to grow and neighborhoods across the city are being impacted by dense construction. SDOT’s Access Seattle crews conduct reviews, in addition to regularly scheduled inspections, of construction sites to assess their impact on pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers. We work with contractors to maintain right-of-way code, enforce when necessary, and educate about the importance of accessibility for all. The Access team… [ Keep reading ]

New Safe Routes to School Crossing in Greenwood is Complete

SDOT crews have completed a new school crossing at N 80th St and 1st Ave N that provides a safer way for kids to cross the street to get to Greenwood Elementary School and St John Catholic School. Improvements include a new curb bulb, curb ramps compliant with the Americans with… [ Keep reading ]

Curb Ramp Design: Not as Simple as it Seems

SDOT recently presented to the Northwest Universal Design Council on features that make an intersection accessible to all pedestrians. One topic was the complexity of curb ramp design, especially in Seattle where the hills and terrain can create some significant challenges. Curb ramp construction is not a simple process where a contractor… [ Keep reading ]

Four Seattle Neighborhoods improve Safety at busy intersections, Would You like yours to be next?

People living in and visiting four busy areas of Seattle can enjoy using intersections that are now easier and safer to navigate, thanks to the city’s successful Neighborhood Street Fund (NSF) program. Over the past year, crews working for the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) have installed safety improvements at… [ Keep reading ]

Help SDOT Make our Right-of-Way More Accessible to You

In February, SDOT was joined by staff members from King County Metro to meet with a group of students at Seattle University to discuss accessibility of transit services as well as our public sidewalks and right-of-way for students with disabilities. It was a great opportunity to listen to the students… [ Keep reading ]

Access Seattle Team Maintaining Mobility Around the City

Seattle’s construction boom is showing no signs of slowing down – but neither is our team of Access Seattle construction Hub coordinators! Every day, our Hub inspectors head out to construction sites all around the city to make sure that pedestrian, cyclist, and driver mobility is maintained, even in areas… [ Keep reading ]

Ballard Neighborhood Greenway Welcomes Walking and Biking!

Thanks to progress on the Ballard Neighborhood Greenway Project, walking and biking along 17th Ave NW are becoming easier and safer. Greenway projects make small improvements on residential streets that add up to a big difference. SDOT is developing a citywide network of neighborhood greenways to provide routes that are… [ Keep reading ]